So..... I understand there is no food included? A bunch of people drinking beer all day long on empty stomachs sounds like a highschool kegger.

There will of course be food at the banquet if you bought the whole package. There is food in the hotel and in the nearby area around the hotel. You're responsible for feeding yourself. And nobody's forcing you to drink beer all day long...take a break. Last yuear, I never drank more than a total of 4 pints in a day and I still got to try dozens of beers.

Taken from the "Attire" section of the NHC Newbie guide...Can I wear a kilt?No, kilts may not be worn. People don’t wear kilts, kilts wear people. If your kilt would like to wear you to the conference, great. There will be many kilts wearing people there, probably a kaftan and a moo-moo, too.